


I Always Knew

by reversetheuniverse



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: F/M, but i like it better, kind of a ski lodge au since this is NOT how it went at all, set in ski lodge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 05:25:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8191826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reversetheuniverse/pseuds/reversetheuniverse
Summary: Maybe she does understand how she feels, but she doesn’t want to admit it to herself. Lucas Friar has her heart in a vice-grip (or lassoed, that stupid southern boy), and the thought of it frightens her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> **anonymous asked:**   
>  **omg can you do a lucaya fic set during ski lodge where maya and lucas get together there after he "chooses her?"**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> //
> 
> I did it! But I don't half-ass things, so I went and did a whole ski lodge rewrite, because it didn't need Josh in it, and now all my children are with who they should be with. So yay for everyone!! :)
> 
> The title is from the song "I Always Knew" by The Vaccines.
> 
> [also bc I have a hard time hurting Smackle, I made it so that she and Farkle aren't in a relationship in this.]

 

Maya never once liked shapes, and she’s becoming increasingly less fond of triangles. More importantly, the strain that such triangles provide in life, as well as the damage they cause between friendships.

Damn triangles to hell.

And she doesn’t even know how she feels on the matter! Because Lucas has never once made sense to her, and then when he went to ride that bull, it was like her brain became muddled and cloudy, and she couldn’t think straight. Lucas is a Western Hero, one that despite his “nice guy” attitude and stupid blond hair that he gels to the side like so, she can’t seem to get out of her head.

Maybe she _does_ understand how she feels, but she doesn’t want to admit it to herself. Lucas Friar has her heart in a vice-grip (or lassoed, that _stupid southern boy_ ), and the thought of it _frightens_ her.

But then Riley factors into the equation. She doesn’t want to hurt Riley. In fact, she’d rather _die_ than hurt Riley, so that’s another reason why the decision is so difficult. Maya’s not about to trample over her own best friend’s heart just because of some guy with good looks and a heart of gold. No boy is worth losing her best friend, not _ever_.

So they deal, until they are faced with the chiming clock telling them that _it’s time to choose_. A good or bad omen? They have yet to see.

 

//

 

“Alright! Campfire and s’mores, let’s go!” Mr. Matthews announces to the group huddled around the fire pit, tossing them bags of marshmallows and sticks. The snow on the ground deters Maya’s teacher not one bit. He’s destined to make up for a bad past at the ski lodge, and if he can start night one with stuffing their gobs full of marshmallow/chocolatey goodness, then he’s already doing a-okay. Topanga seems not as convinced, but takes the (peace) offering of s’mores regardless, allowing herself to enjoy at least _one_ thing.

Maya watches Lucas across the fire laughing next to Zay with a soft smile on her face, one of admiration. When she catches herself doing so, she glances at Riley to make sure she didn’t notice, but her best friend seems caught up in something entirely different.

“—So _I_ told _him_ to fluorine-uranium-carbon-potassium off, and he ran crying like a little baby!” Smackle cackles, her hand gracing Farkle’s forearm. Farkle laughs beside her, enjoying her brand of scientific humor, and Riley watches them, almost . . . jealous?

. . . No, Riley wouldn’t be jealous, not of Farkle and Smackle together. It’s probably just wishful thinking on Maya’s part.

“Riles?” she asks, jabbing Riley in the side with the stick she’d been giving. Riley jumps when she does so, almost soaring through the air before landing not-so-gracefully on her butt onto the log they’re sharing.

“Huh? What’s up?” Riley says once she’s gained composure, her attention on Maya. Maya quirks an eyebrow at her.

“You alright? You seemed pretty focused on those two over there,” she points over to where Farkle and Smackle are sitting, engaged in conversation (and flirting? Who knows with those two nerds.)

“Yup! I’m all good! Isn’t the world great? Let’s have some s’mores,” Riley prattles on, extracting a handful of marshmallows out of the bag on her lap, thrusting some over to Maya. Maya takes them, puzzled, dropping a couple onto the ground as Riley stakes her stick through the ones in her hand. Mr. Matthews nearly screeches at the marshmallows on the ground ( _“What a waste of perfectly good marshmallows, Maya!!!”_ ), but for the sake of not caring about that at the moment (or at all), Maya ignores him.

There are more pressing matters at the moment than fallen piles of sugar.

“Riley, you’re burning your marshmallows to a crisp,” Maya says, nudging her in the arm with her elbow to get her attention. Riley pulls her stick out of the fire, desperately trying to save the marshmallows on the stick with no such luck. She frowns at the stick, upset that the marshmallows had no chance at being saved whatsoever.

“They’re dead,” she cries, but Maya rolls her eyes, patting her on the back half-heartedly.

“They just weren’t cut out for this world.” Zay immediately pops over at Riley’s side, offering to take the burnt mallows from her, which Riley gives up readily. When he disappears, Maya tugs onto Riley’s arm, gesturing with a nod towards the ski lodge.

“Alright, Riley. Let’s go. Ski lodge bay window, right now.” Riley doesn’t put up a fight, rising from the log to saunter off towards the ski lodge, Maya following behind.

Except the world doesn’t work to either Maya or Riley’s advantage, and they _both_ trip over a tree root they didn’t know was there, crashing to the snow-covered ground like a couple of sad, fallen snow-angels.

 

//

 

When she opens her eyes, she’s in Lucas’ arms.

. . . Is she dead? Is that what this is? Is this the first thing she really wants to think of when she dies?

“Oh good, you’re awake,” Lucas sighs a breath of relief when Maya’s eyes flutter open, big and wide and confused. “How’s Riley, Farkle?” Maya follows Lucas’ line of sight to where Farkle is, carrying a conked out Riley in his arms. He’s worried as all get out, his eyes staring frantically ahead of him.

“Still out,” he mutters, his grip on her tightening. Maya doesn’t think she ever recalls Farkle looking this upset before, not over someone else.

They finally reach the room that Maya and Riley are sharing, plopping them down onto their respective beds. Lucas sits beside Maya, trying to remove her shoe.

“Hey, hands to yourself, Huckleberry! I know your mama taught you manners with a lady!” Maya yells, slapping his hand away from her leg. Lucas huffs, his electric blue eyes darting over to hers immediately, stinging her like a bee.

“You’re _hurt_ ,” he informs her, carrying on with what he was doing afterward. Maya sits there like an invalid, arms crossed as he inspects her bare leg. He experimentally pushes the tips of his fingers against her ankle, and Maya can’t help but punch him in the arm in response.

“Ow, Ranger Rick, that hurt!!!” she exclaims, watching Lucas as he tumbles to the ground. “Whoops.”

“You are the stubbornest woman I have _ever_ met, Maya Hart,” he says, not bitterly, but almost with _admiration_ in his tone.

 _“Whasahoosit?”_ Maya hears Riley croak from the other side of the room as she comes to.

“We have a pulse!” Farkle shouts, raising a fist in the air triumphantly. “Alright—no, _no_ , Riley, you are _not_ getting up,” he says, becoming distracted once again as Riley tries to push her way out of bed.

“I’m tired, Dad. Just another fifteen minutes of sleep and then I’ll get up for school,” Riley mumbles, her hand pushing against his chest half-heartedly. Maya snorts as she watches Farkle try desperately to keep Riley situated in her bed.

Delirious Riley has always, and will always, be _hilarious_.

“No, Riley! You are hurt and probably have a concussion, so I need you to—Stay. In. Your. _BED!!!”_ Farkle yells at her as he struggles to keep her in place.

“No, I don’t want _oatmeal_ , I want Lucky Charms! Let me be unhealthy, Father!!!”

“ _RILEY MATTHEWS I SWEAR_ —” Farkle eventually manages to get her to stay in bed, holding her wrists down in bed. It occurs to Maya that Lucas could probably help him out, but it’s a million times funnier that he’s doing the same as she is—enjoying the soap opera unfolding before them.

“What? Farkle, what are you doing here?” Riley asks, finally coming to. Farkle lets out a groan, excruciated but glad nonetheless that she’s finally coherent.

“Alright, Riley, here’s the skinny,” Maya interrupts in her 1920’s announcer voice, giving Farkle a moment of rest. “You and I tripped over a tree root, and these two gentlemen helped us back into our beds. And by the looks of it, we have—Lucas, drum roll please,” Maya looks over at him, thinning her lips as she waits for him to follow suit. He shrugs, sighing before patting his hands against the dresser inbetween the beds. “ _SPRAINED ANKLES!!!_ ” Maya finishes once he’s stopped. Riley blinks once, then twice, then leans her head against the headboard of the bed.

“ _Nooooooooooooo_ . . .”

“I’m afraid so,” Maya shakes her head sympathetically. “We are going to be—” she tries to continue, but Riley cuts her off abruptly, saying something that quiets everyone in the room.

“ _WE NEED TO RESOLVE THE TRIANGLE_ ,” Riley shouts, making Maya, Farkle, and Lucas all go still.

“ . . . _Now?_ ” Lucas asks.

“This weekend, it’s going to be done. We are mature adults—”

“ _Teenagers_ , unaware of our feelings, quite immature,” Farkle corrects her, but she ignores him.

“And we need resolve. If there’s anything that my injury has taught me—”

“You’ve been injured for thirty whole minutes!!” Farkle cuts her off once again, but Riley is having none of it.

“Hush, Farkle!!!” He shuts up, his lips not moving to utter another word. “ _Thank you_. Anyway, Maya—you, me, and Lucas need to figure this thing out, okay? It ends this weekend.”

No one can argue with that logic.

“Alright, I’ve managed to locate two boots, so your injured feet better match what I’ve got, otherwise you’re on your own!” Riley’s father chimes as he enters the room. When he spots Lucas and Farkle sitting next to them so close, his eyes narrow, but he ignores them for the sake of attending to Maya and Riley. “Okay, so you, which foot?” he points at Maya.

“Left,” she answers. He turns to Riley.

“Foot?” She wiggles a bit before deciding.

“Definitely right,” she tells him. Maya can see the instant relief that befalls Mr. Matthews face.

“Good. You guys are making my life easier one foot at a time.” He hands them their respective boots before leaving the room, but then pokes his head back in, his finger waving at both Lucas and Farkle, gritting his teeth. “You two. _Out._ ”

They obey Mr. Matthews without another word, because even they aren’t _that_ dumb.

“You girls let Topanga know if you need anything, okay?” he says to Maya and Riley. They nod their heads and he closes the door with a soft, “Good night.”

Maya glances over at her best friend, who seems lost in thought, over what, she doesn’t know.

“Hey, Riles?” she asks her. Riley looks over at her, a spacey look still in her eyes.

“Yes, Peaches?”

“You and I are friends no matter what. And whatever decision Lucas makes, if it hurts one of us, we tell the other, okay? No boy is allowed to come between us.” Riley nods her head, smiling gently.

“Of course, Maya. You are first and foremost my number one. Anyone who tries to come between us is making a big mistake.”

Except someone already has, and they don’t know what to do about it.

 

//

 

“We would stay with you guys, _honestly_ ,” Farkle says, stuffed into his winter gear, looking like the marshmallows from last night.

“But we _really_ want to go on the slopes. Sorry,” Lucas finishes, rushing out the door behind Farkle so that they don’t have to face the wrath of both Riley and Maya together. They sigh as they remain planted on the couches in the main lobby of the ski lodge, unable to do much except hobble around.

“Riley, have you ever considered that your clumsiness is contagious?” Maya asks her. Riley nods her head, her eyes wide.

“Now I do.” They throw their heads back and groan simultaneously.

“This is dumb! I want to be skiing!” Maya whines.

“Me, too,” Riley agrees. “We came all the way to a ski lodge to ski, and now all we get to do is just sit! We get to do that at school all the time! If I wanted to just sit, I would’ve stayed at home!”

“Do you think they deliver pizzas out here?” Maya asks. Riley shoots her a pointed look, but Maya feels not one ounce of guilt. “Look, I gotta eat, and pizza sounds _wonderful_. You’re either with me, or you go sit in the mock bay window and be all depressed. Your choice.”

When pizza is the ultimate option, no one can say _no_.

 

//

 

Maya isn’t sure what she should be more impressed about: the fact that everyone spent the whole day out on the slopes, or the fact that between her and Riley, they each ate one whole pizza with almost every topping off the menu on it.

Probably the latter.

But the fact that she and Riley sat around after doing so instead of being able to get up and do stuff like they usually do meant that the food coma was gonna come on quick, and _boy_ did it last a long time.

Seriously, what year is it???

“Did we really stay up all night talking?” Maya hears Riley say from across the room.

“We sure did,” someone else, a _masculine_ voice says.

Wait, that can’t be right.

“What the heck?!” Maya hears someone else, a more familiar voice, exclaim. She sits upright on the couch and sees Riley next to some strange guy, then glances over to the stairs to see the rest of the group on the stairs, Farkle’s mouth open agape.

“Hey, guys,” Riley greets them sheepishly, waving.

“Who dat? Who this guy? Who is he? Who’s that guy right there?!” Farkle continues his inquiry. Maya can’t help but echo the same sentiment. But the one thing that confuses her is—why does Farkle care? And more importantly, why does Lucas _not_?

“He’s nobody!” Riley insists, waving her arms all around before pausing. “Wait, why does it matter to you?” Farkle’s eyes widen, his face going flush.

“It doesn’t!” he tries to recover quickly, but it’s too late. As Riley and Farkle continue to bicker, Maya watches as Lucas sidles up beside her onto the couch, his eyes trained on only her.

“You talk to any strange boys last night, too?” he asks. Maya raises a brow.

“No. Unless you count pizza as a strange boy.” He chuckles but his expression remains hardened as he keeps his focus on her. “Why? You jealous, Ranger Rick?” He swallows hard, his gaze finally leaving hers.

“ _No_ ,” he answers firmly, but it does nothing to convince Maya otherwise. In fact, she rather _amused_.

“Look at you, Huckleberry, jealous over pizza—”

“I’m not jealous over pizza,” Lucas tries to defend himself, but Maya ignores it, continuing anyway.

“Jealous over a boy who _doesn’t exist_. Not such a secure western hero, are you? You’re just ha-hurring over lil’ ol’ me, tryin’ to keep me safe from invisible cowboys,” she mocks him, voice dipping into a southern accent. “HA—!” Maya gets up in his face, trying to do her usual brand of teasing him by “ha-hurring’ in his face, but she doesn’t get to. He’s cupping her face again like he did at the campfire back at Texas, his face only an inch away from hers.

“Uh,” is all he can manage, but then Maya realizes something’s wrong. Everything around them is dead quiet. She and Lucas turn their heads slowly, her face still in his hands, and they suddenly see their problem.

Riley and Farkle aren’t bickering anymore. Instead, they’re watching the soap opera that’s occurring in front of them, Riley with a dumbstruck look on her face.

Maya’s really screwed the pooch on this one.

“Alright,” she suddenly announces, pushing Lucas away from her and rising from the couch. She hobbles over to where Riley is, grabbing her by the wrist. “Shows over! Go on and have your fun elsewhere!” she shoos the rest of the crowd away. They scram as they know they should, Lucas and Farkle still rooted in their spots.

“Maya?” Riley asks quietly.

“Lucas, Farkle, scram. Riley and I need to have a bay window talk by ourselves.”

The two take a moment before they remember it’s their cue to leave, deserting the two girls so that they can have their window talk finally. Maya pulls her best friend to the cushioned bench next to the windows, plopping down and facing her so that they can face what they’ve needed to face for a long while now.

“Riley, I need you to know—”

“Maya, it’s fine, really—”

“Riley, seriously, I want to let you know—”

“Maya, stop, I just want you to know—” They both finally stop steamrolling each other, deciding that them just talking things over isn’t going to sort anything.

“Alright, let’s just both say what we want the other to know on three, okay?” Riley nods her head in agreement, and Maya begins counting. “One . . . two . . . _three_.”

“I’m in love with Lucas!” Maya exclaims

“I’m in love with Farkle!” Riley confesses. They both stare at each other, mouths agape.

“So, Farkle, huh? Never saw it coming,” Maya tells her. Riley shrugs, but Maya can see a hint of a blush on her cheeks.

“Yeah, I don’t know. It’s . . . it’s weird.” Maya shakes her head.

“Not weird. It makes . . . sense. It’s like, I wouldn’t have guessed it, but it makes total sense now that I think about it. When’d you figure it out?”

“Last night while I was talking to Evan,” Riley tells her.

“Who?”

“The Sherpa boy.” Maya stares blankly at her.

“The _who_?” Riley points over to the desk where the strange boy she was talking to all night is sitting.

“Window boy. He told me he wants to be a Sherpa.”

“And that made you realize you were in love with Farkle?” Maya asks, confused. Riley shakes her head, laughing.

“No! I talked to him all night about all of you guys. And when I got to Farkle . . . it just clicked. Kind of like a light switch being turned on for the first time in a dark room. It’s strange, yeah, but also . . . nice. You love Lucas?” It’s Maya’s turn to be embarrassed.

“I guess so. I did say that, didn’t I.”

“Mhm. You certainly did. And you poured a smoothie on him, Maya.”

“Yeah, I did that.”

“You don’t do that to anyone else,” Riley points out.

“I don’t, you’re correct,” Maya agrees. “It’s just . . . Huckleberry? _Really?_ Why him?”

“Because he’s good, and you like having good people in your life. You like people who have the ability to change you. You like people who try their hardest to be there for you, and who care about you and make a difference in your life,” Riley tells her.

“Yeah, but I could say the same about you, Riley,” Maya says.

“Not in the way that Lucas has for you. He’s changed your life for the better, Maya. He’s your Huckleberry, and you should go tell him how you feel.”

“But just because I’ve chosen him doesn’t mean he’s chosen me,” Maya sighs dejectedly, absentmindedly picking at a loose thread of the pillow she’s sitting on.

“But you won’t know until you talk to him. So that’s what I’m telling you to do. Go to him, because I’ve already made my choice in this triangle. Go make yours.” Maya nods her head once before rising from the bench, giving her friend a soft smile before stalking away to find Lucas. On her way over, she passes by Farkle, who seems to be in as much of a confused daze as she is.

“Farkle, go talk to her. Tell her how you feel. Don’t mess things up,” Maya advises. Farkle presses his lips together.

“Likewise, Maya.”

They pass each other so they can continue their game of “musical partners”, Farkle finding Riley in the window and Maya finding Lucas by the fire place, his eyes trained on the ground.

“Lucas Friar,” Maya calls his name, catching his attention. He looks up almost immediately, his vivid blue eyes meeting hers.

“Maya Hart,” he calls back, patting the empty space next to him. “Come sit. Have a chat.” And she does so. She shuffles over and takes a spot beside him, her shoulder pressing against his ever so lightly.

“So, Huckleberry. You made your decision in all of this mess?” she asks.

“I sure have. It’s been a weird, long ride,” he remarks.

“You got that right. So what’s the general consensus on this triangle? What side did you pick?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” he asks her, and Maya can’t help but feel her heart drop. If it’s obvious, then she knows what side he’s chosen. Riley always was the better choice.

“I guess it was all along,” she mutters, turning her gaze away from him. “I hope the two of you are happy.” She feels a tug at her jaw, her face turning back towards him against her own volition. Suddenly, she’s an inch away from him again, his breath ghosting her own lips.

“Maya, it’s _you_. I’ve chosen _you_ ,” he tells her.

 _Oh_.

“Well, what are you gonna do about it?” she presses further. He smiles that charming smile of his, the one that dazzles her to no end.

“Something that I should’ve done a long while ago,” he answers, closing the gap between them. Maya can’t help but agree.

She’s been long due for a kiss from her Huckleberry for a long, _long_ time.

 

And boy, does it feel _amazing._

 

 


End file.
